This year's juror, Tom Klobe, selected both of Carmen's submissions for inclusion in the 34th annual juried exhibiton. March 25-April 20th at the Schaefer International Gallery, Maui Arts
and Cultural Center.

"The evening began with a sip of sparkling wine, a bite of a prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and a long, loving look at Carmen Gardner’s “Kaleidoscopic Caldera”.
Someone mentions in passing that this piece is a branching out for the artist and that the woman’s work is phenomenal. They stay for a moment and then move on to another work of art.

These people are taking their time, dropping a comment here and picking up a warm cheese crisp there as more wine is poured. They are contemplating which work they will buy since their
presence at this private affair is their financial commitment to do so. They are honored benefactors, a small selection of patrons from a cherished invitation list and they have this exclusive
night to themselves to dine amid the juried art collection of Art Maui 2011 showcasing at the Schaefer International Gallery at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center."

﻿

March 6 – April 2, 2011

126 artists were represented

139 pieces were exhibited

22 pieces were sold
6 during the Purchase Pledge Preview event
13 were purchased by other patrons
3 were purchased by the state

377 artists submitted work

592 pieces were entered

4854 people attended the show

﻿

"Kaleidoscopic Caldera" Oil on canvas, 24"X36" (Sold)

"Kaleidoscopic Caldera" was one of two of Carmen's paintings chosen for Art Maui, 2011

Carmen's Haiku Studio Featured in American Artist Magazine's "Studios" Issue!

It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that we are bringing you the very first event of its kind
in Hawaii. The First Annual Maui Open Studio Event is a unique, vibrant event modeled after a very successful concept and tradition that has been enjoyed by the public for free
throughout California and other art-appreciating states across the country for many decades.

Although many artists on Maui open their studios to the public by appointment throughout the year,
there is no event that invites the public in greater numbers to these artists' studios all at one time.

Carmen Gardner Studios will serve pupus and refreshments, create imaginative gallery spaces, talk
story about Carmen's art, offer works for sale, and connect with visitors.

Art lovers, both local and visitor alike, will have a very unique opportunity during a very special
event for both the artists and their guests.

This entire event is free for the public. All are
welcome.Opening Celebration and Preview ExhibitionFriday, February 4, 2011
Time: Evening - specific time TBA
Location: TBAMeet a number of the artists, preview some of their work, and pick up copies of the Guidebook while enjoying live music, pupus and possibly a cash
bar.

Weekend #1: West and South Maui Open
Studios(See map below for regions noted in red)Saturday, February 5and Sunday, February 6, 2011• 10am - 6pmVisit the studios and gallery spaces of artists in this region.Weekend #2: North, Central, Upcountry and East MauiOpen Studios(See map below for regions noted in orange)Saturday, February 12and Sunday, February 13, 2011•10am -
6pmVisit the studios and gallery spaces of artists in this region.

The event is split up into two weekends so that visitors to Maui have
a better chance of catching at least one of the weekends and also so artists who are participating in the event can take their own tours of other artists' studios on the other weekend to see what
other artists are doing on the island. Also, Maui is a large island and we don't want anyone to have to drive too much and have to rush through the event. Since each weekend is made up of two days of
open studios, you can also divide each region up into two different days as well. Do half of the region on Saturday and the other half of that region on Sunday.

Grab a copy of our guidebook or at our Opening Celebration/Preview Exhibition or from one of our
sponsors and away you go! Preview the artist's work prior to your self-guided tour either at our Opening Celebration/Preview Exhibition, through our website, or the artist's own website. Decide which
studios you'd like to visit and then print a Mapquest map from the links in the artist listing on this website or for general directions see our maps in our handy printed guidebook. If you have GPS,
even better!

Thanks for being here and we hope to see you on Maui in February, 2011!

PRESS PROSE . . .what the reviewers say:

Art Maui 2010

"Prestigious show pushes artists beyond their limits into their imaginations"

by Lehia Apana Staff Writer/The Maui News Sunday, March 7, 2010

It can inspire, like Carmen Gardner's portrait of the late Aunty Genoa Keawe, famed Hawaiian songbird and ambassador of aloha.
It can trigger memories and take you back to hanabata days fishing on the pier with friends, just like the boys in Kirk Kurokawa's "Dream Catcher." It's visual meditation, like Tony Novack-Clifford's
"Horizon Obscured I," where it's easy to get lost in the lines until the elements become one.

"It" is Art Maui. And it's back.

The 32nd annual juried exhibition returns to the Maui Arts & Cultural Center's Schaefer International Gallery, once again
showcasing who's moving and what's shaking in the local art community.

"We want to see what our artists are doing that's unique and creative," says Art Maui show chairwoman Chris Scharein. "Our goal
is to show people who are reaching beyond in their art. We don't want status quo."

Founded in the late '70s as an avenue to showcase high-caliber works and encourage art collecting, Art Maui is the little
exhibition that could. After more than three decades of chugging along and promoting the local art scene, it's evolved into arguably the most prestigious show in town.

The highly-competitive exhibit garnered 565 entries this year, with juror Kenneth Bushnell narrowing the field to 144 that
includes everything from ceramics to sculpture and printmaking to photography. Bushnell is a practicing artist who actively exhibits locally, nationally and internationally, and is currently
professor of art emeritus at University of Hawai'i. He divides his time between studios in New York City, the south of France and Honolulu.

"In my mind he's an individual who over the years has become in tune with art from all over the world," says Scharein. "Now he's
coming here and selecting art based on his experience, which gives the artists here in our community that worldly perspective."

The exhibition encourages artists to move past the commodity-driven art scene and step into their own
imagination.

"A lot of times in a gallery, artists will feel pressure to produce something for selling, but this is a space that really
highlights their creativity. It's a show where the juror will look at something from the artistic side and not from the dollar sign," artist and exhibit designer Joelle C. Perz
explains.

The collection represents a cross section of styles and mediums, keeping the viewer stimulated throughout. Visitors are
immediately struck with a sense of place as Sidney Yee's "Pundy's Vision" hangs in the forefront. Depicting the Yokouchi Family Pavillion currently being built just steps outside the gallery, the
painting is a preview of what's to come. The pyramid-like glass structure resembling the Louvre in Paris pays homage to the late Pundy Yokouchi, a prominent Maui businessman and driving force behind
the MACC's inception.

"It's always difficult to find an entrance piece that means something," explains Perz. "I love that it goes with the timing of
the new construction and at the same time (Yee) is such a talent, so it's celebrating him as well as this place."

Designer Perz, whose "Native Imprint" piece was selected as the publicity image for next year's show, is challenged with
assembling this 144-piece puzzle into one cohesive exhibit. Pulling off this larger-than-life brain teaser is an art in itself, she says.

"The design and flow is really important to me. My goal is that every piece shines within this space, and that's the real
difficulty."

Leaving Yee's piece and following a counter-clockwise flow, the viewer is taken on a thematic journey where the pieces move from
organic, heavy color and texture, dreamworld, whimsical, contemporary and abstract.

Established artists and Art Maui veterans are represented: Judy Bisgard, Joseph Fletcher, Tim
Garcia, Carmen Gardner, Ditmar Hoerl, Tom Sewell, Bjorn and Nancy Skrimstad, Sandy Vitarelli and others. While the names may be familiar, per eligibility criteria, each artwork is
making its debut at the exhibit.

The job of the artist isn't done once the piece is in hanging on the wall or sitting under the spotlight. Each participant also
volunteers time to making the show happen, including manning the gallery during visitor hours. This personal touch is one of the things that makes Art Maui unique, says
Scharein.

"When people come in while an artist is here, it makes it so much more intimate and special because they can make that
connection."

"It's amazing how many people volunteer and how gracious they are about it," adds Perz. "The artists love to help because they
feel this is for them - it's really a show that highlights their creativity." Lehia Apana -- The Maui News, March 7, 2010

"Art Maui 2009is great! Whether (as so many wondered at the artists’ opening on June 6) it’s the
best Art Maui ever is irrelevant. It’s the best Art Maui 2009 ever!

. . . Another was Carmen Gardner’s remarkable image of photographer Matt Thayer
of The Maui News('The Maui News/Matthew Thayer, Photo'). It will make one want to pose while he gets the shot."Maui Weekly, June 25,
2009

Art Maui 2008

"It’s in the intimate interaction with the Art Maui pieces that you can know more about the woman named
“Chiiko” from the Kula Hongwanji [Shingon] and why her face seems to emit a glow that holds tales from her past.

"On the other end of the spectrum is super-realist Carmen Gardner, an exceptionally accomplished watercolor painter, who also credits
[Richard] Nelson as her sensei.

Gardner’s 'Reunion' bristles with life as two lovely older ladies meet and greet at close range. One of the women is a little more stylish than the other in her red shirt and
fetching straw hat set off by a pair of Maui Jim shades. However, this seeming difference in style sense does not dampen their delight in each other."Maui
News, March 11, 2007

"Carmen Gardner has two pieces in the show. The one the [Hawaii State Foundation on Culture and the Arts] foundation selected is “Kipahulu Hale,” a finely detailed rendering of an
old-style home. Note the tones Gardner is able to achieve and the realistic feel of the foliage. One can almost see the palms swaying in the breeze. Gardner’s other work continues her exploration of
candid portraiture. . . “96708” is a portrait of [Debbie Faborito], a friendly clerk [at Haiku Post Office]" Maui News--October 1, 2006

" The State Foundation on Culture and the Arts found a bonanza in this show, purchasing five of the 37 works [from more than 300 works submitted]. . . recipients of the [HSFCA Recognition Award
include] former actor, arts manager, Carmen Gardner for her heartfelt watercolor portrait of a master lei maker, "Roselda."Maui News-- October 23, 2005

" . . . Carmen Gardner is well-known in the performing arts on Maui as an excellent lead actress and former executive director of Maui
OnStage. She is presenting a fine watercolor of a papaya tree, cleverly titled "Before the Fall." In the tradition of Robert Wagstaff, Gardner's point of view and composition make
the work memorable." Maui News--September 26, 2004

Commentary

"Some
pieces with political stands did not get into the Art Maui gallery"Maui News, Sunday March 11, 2007

" . . . [Carmen]Gardner has been an up-and-coming artist for several years. Her work has been seen in several Art Mauis and Hui No'eau shows. One of her paintings was accepted for Art Maui '07. The
one not accepted shows the way the military honors a fallen soldier - boots in front of the muzzle of an inverted M-16 with the helmet on top of the shoulder rest, Gardner purposely left the work
without a title so the viewer would not be influenced and could interpret the painting in accordance with the feelings it elicited. Serving as both a tribute to those who gave their lives and an
elegant comment on the war, it's a powerful image, done expertly by an excellent artist."

New courses on offer!

Carmen teaches watercolor for the County of Maui, through the Kauoa Leisure Programm . . . click here to see the current courses . . .

Carmen's work can be seen at Viewpoints Gallery in Makawao.

At her studio, Carmen can show you her latest pieces of art on the spot. Come take a look. She's looking forward to seeing you!

Now available online!

E komo mai to my online gallery and studio. Here, you'll find lots of information about me and my artwork. I invite you to browse and to feel free to contact me for further info you might
need. Please enjoy your visit.